Member States

French President Emmanuel Macron's government introduced a draft law on Wednesday that would reduce the number of seats in the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, from 577 to 433, news wires reported. The Senate would go from 348 to 261 members.

Measles cases are skyrocketing in Europe and the disease is surging in four countries previously considered to have eliminated it, including the UK, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Thursday, urging countries to step up vaccination efforts.

The Italian anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) agreed later on Wednesday to form a coalition government headed by the outgoing PM Giuseppe Conte. He will be summoned this morning by President Sergio Mattarella to the presidential palace to be given a mandate as premier, ANSA reported.

British PM Boris Johnson will try to limit parliaments opportunity to derail his Brexit plans by cutting the amount of time it sits between now and EU exit day on 31 October, news wires reported. In his boldest move yet to take the country out of the EU with or without a divorce deal, Johnson said he would set 14 October for the Queens Speech - the formal state opening of a new session of parliament where he will set out his government’s legislative agenda.

Four years after the introduction of control of capital placed in banks, the Greek government announced last Monday the complete lifting of restrictions on capital movements, news wires reported. The move was presented in Parliament by PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for a new global economic order, decrying an "unprecedented crisis" in the market economy. Amid uncertainty over US trade policies, Macron said the market economy has become too finance-driven, creating inequalities "that are shaking up our political order." He called for a global "rethink" but did not offer details.

Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement threatened Tuesday to pull the plug on tense negotiations with the centre-left Democratic Party over forming a new government, insisting its choice of prime minister was a red line.

Switzerland has adopted an EU legal framework on aviation designed to ensure the continuation of a smooth traffic between Bern and London after Brexit. The new rules, agreed by the Swiss-EU Joint Committee on Air Transport will now come into force on 1 September, according to a statement from the Federal Office of Civil Aviation released on Thursday.

Revived “yellow vest” protests against the government of President Emmanuel Macron took place in France on Saturday, news wires reported. Hundreds of demonstrators faced police in a tense stand-off in the French city of Nantes. Police responded with tear gas after some protesters threw projectiles.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that it would require a "feat of strength" in order for Germany to reach its climate goals by 2030 as planned, news wires reported. "Climate change is a challenge for humanity. In order to deal with this challenge, it will require a real feat of strength," Merkel said in the video posted on the chancellery's official website. She pointed out that passing climate legislation was necessary in order for the country to be able to achieve its goal of producing 65% of energy from renewable sources by 2030.